ELECTION PROFILES: ELMET AND ROTHWELL

Conservative candidate for Elmet and Rothwell Alec Shelbrooke. (S)

Serving fellow residents as their local Member of Parliament has been a huge honour.

In my first term I’ve worked to put in place a foundation upon which we can now build a brighter future – unemployment has halved, crime is down and last year we created more jobs here in Yorkshire than in the whole of socialist France.

When I left my career as a mechanical engineer to enter Parliament in 2010, I did so because I wanted to play a role in building a better Britain; a country where hard work is rewarded, where those most vulnerable are supported and where young people have opportunities to make something of themselves in the global workplace. Five years ago, the Labour Minister who was in charge of spending British taxpayers’ money left us a note.

It said: “I’m afraid there is no money”.

Labour candidate for Elmet and Rothwell Veronica King.

Five years later, together we have halved the deficit, cut income tax for working people, created more jobs, capped welfare to reward work and ensured the triple-lock on the state pension.

Let’s not waste the last five years of hard work. Let’s not let Ed Miliband sneak in the back door of Number 10 with the Scottish Nationalists holding us ransom.

Let’s not go back to square one.

Elmet and Rothwell is my home and I’m standing for re-election on May 7 because I want to finish the job we started together in 2010: to secure a brighter future for our town. I hope you feel able to lend me your vote.

Lib Dem candidate for Elmet and Rothwell Stewart Golton.

Labour candidate Veronica King:

Having spent the last five years working for charities and witnessing first hand the impact of this government’s policies on some of the most vulnerable - from the decimation of Sure Start Children’s Centres to slashing of adult social care budgets - I’m determined to stand up for ordinary people in our area and be an MP people in Wetherby can be proud of. I believe that Labour has a better plan for a better future for people here.

Too many families in Wetherby are worried about how their children will afford a home of their own. A labour government will give priority to first time buyers and cut their stamp duty to zero. Our policy is to build on brownfield sites first and I will fight to protect our greenbelt and give a greater say to local residents. A Labour government will freeze energy bills, provide 25 hours free childcare for three and four year olds, and increase the minimum wage to at least £8 an hour by 2020. And with our pledges to cut tuition fees and create as many apprenticeships as university places we’ll back the next generation.

The issue that most people raise with me on the doorstep is the NHS and that’s why I’m proud that a Labour government will invest in our NHS workforce, with 20,000 more nurses funded through a mansion tax on homes worth more than £2 million and cracking down on tax evasion.

Green Party candidate for Elmet and Rothwell Dave Brookes. (S)

Lib Dem candidate Stewart Golton:

I am Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Leeds City Council, and live in Oulton.

Liberal Democrats want to deliver a stronger economy balanced with a fairer society. We entered coalition government at a dangerous time for the country, and prioritised forming a stable government to protect our economy over short term party interests.

The economy is now back on track, and even though money is short, Lib Dems achieved tax cuts for the lower paid, more investment in disadvantaged children’s education through Pupil Premium, introduced free school meals, and delivered record numbers of apprenticeships.

Even the controversial tuition fees changes have allowed more poorer students to go to university than happened under Labour. Our experience in government means that we are best placed to responsibly identify the £8bn needed to invest in the NHS, protect pupil spending in schools, and take those living on minimum wage out of tax altogether.

Green Party candidate Dave Brooks:

UKIP candidate for Elmet and Rothwell Paul Spivey. (S)

As election day approaches you’ll hear the main parties getting more-and-more frantic looking for your vote.

Their promises are getting wilder (have you noticed?) as they get more desperate. And as they scramble for your vote they become less distinct as individual parties, and show themselves all to be just pale variations of ‘more-of-the-same’. More austerity, more cuts... whilst blaming the poor, the disabled, the immigrants.

But there is a choice - and that choice is Green. The Green Party will provide decent affordable, homes for all. We guarantee a properly funded public NHS. We consider a clean environment and a safe climate absolutely vital. We promise free education for all and a fairer economy where everyone contributes according to their means and gets the support they need to achieve their full potential.

Green is compassionate, Green is inclusive, Green is about looking after people and the planet.

If you really want to see a positive change, in your own lives, in your community, in the country and in the world, then vote for the only party with the courage to look to a brighter future.

A future for our children and our grandchildren. Vote Dave Brooks, Vote Green.

UKIP candidate Paul Spivey:

At UKIP we have a strong belief in listening and putting you the people of Elmet and Rothwell first, therefore, it will come as no surprise that our first priority would be for an immediate and binding referendum on leaving the expensive and bureaucratic EU.

This would instantly put £55m per day back into Britain where it can be used to fund the extra £12.5bn needed to return the NHS to the world leading service it was, plus an extra £1.5bn linking social care for the elderly and venerable, stopping the scandal of our current system whereby these people, through no fault of their own are left to languish within hospital because there is insufficient care for them.

This will once again allow us to control our own borders and implement a points based immigration system allowing a better control of our community, infrastructure, schools, doctors, hospitals and social housing etc.

We want to help create lasting and sustainable jobs for all the future by reducing the burden of EU red tape, reducing business rates by 20 per cent and assist our hard pressed farmers/fishermen rebuilding these devastated suppliers and helping create a sustainable future.

We wish to make all our politicians generally more accountable to you our boss and giving voters the ability to remove failing MPs and councillors and give national referendum on issues of concern to the British public.